Blame It On The Mistletoe
by Alien Altered
Summary: They held hands beneath tables and kissed in the rain; doing all those painfully clichéd things that Chuck once gagged at. And somehow it stopped mattering what Gossip Girl said about them.


**Blame it on the Mistletoe.**

He's not sure exactly when it started. Sometime around Christmas; when Dan and lair escaped to France. Honestly? He blamed the mistletoe. That stupid weed hung everywhere at Iz's party.

Sure, it'd been great at the beginning, a viable excuse to kiss the girls but when he and S literally bumped into each other and discovered what they were standing beneath… Serena looked up at Chuck's smirk, his laughing eyes and shook her head slowly. "Come on, sis. Can't break tradition." He'd moved in slowly, claiming her lips softly. As spectators sent photos to Gossip Girl, Chuck slid his hands over Serena's red dress and startled when she grabbed his lapels and pulled him closer. He'd been the first to pull back, staring into her eyes in confusion and discovering what he already knew was there; the hurt, loneliness, betrayal, and confusion. After all, her best friend had won over her ex. "What do you say to a drink?"

It started purely physical, because he was Chuck Bass and she was Serena Van Der Woodsen and they didn't know how to broach more. But when Chuck awoke to find the blonde sprawled over his bed, her long hair leaving a train of sunshine across his pillow, he'd laid back down beside her for the first time, allowing his fingers to tangle in her hair and his lips to gently caress her jaw. She was a broken doll, but then again he was a broken toy soldier – so it worked.

Soon it became a tradition, their Thursday nights. Nestled on the lounge with Serena between Chuck's legs and a pizza on her lap the two would watch movies. Their relationship was never defined by words, at least not by them, although Gossip Girl was now classing them as an exclusive couple. Their relationship was defined by actions; the flowers on the pillow, the 3rd and 4th drawers filled with her clothes and the make-up in the bathroom.

The drugs became less frequent, the smiles more and behind closed doors Chuck wiped away his girls tears when the world became too much. He'd almost told her one, at the park with ice cream dripping down her hand. "I… l…lo…" The words hadn't made it up his throat but when he'd shook his head and shut up, Serena took his hand. "…Me too."

Dan and Blair returned holding hands, sending Serena into the bottle. "Could've waited…" muttered Chuck as he discovered Serena halfway through the second bottle of Vodka. He took it from her hand and downed the rest. Sure, they'd moved on, gotten over Dan and Blair, respectively, but the memories still stung. So when Serena collapsed in tears, Chuck tucked her beneath the blanket and held her tight as she sobbed into his scarf.

They held hands beneath tables and kissed in the rain; doing all those painfully clichéd things that Chuck once gagged at. And somehow it stopped mattering what Gossip Girl said about them.

Chuck may not be sure of when it started exactly, but he sure as hell knew when it ended – April 26. When he returned home with shirt inside out and Blair's perfume enshrouding him. The next morning he woke to an empty bed and it was as if Serena had never even been there; the drawers were empty, the bathroom no longer housed make-up, her DVD's were gone and his scarf had been returned to the closet. Even her scent was gone, overpowered by Blair's rich perfume. In one night he'd managed to destroy his longest relationship and break his own heart – God, he was becoming a cliché. The phone in his pocket vibrated and Chuck grabbed it out, longing to see Serena's number on his screen. Gossip Girl, of course.

'_Morning UESer's. It's a day of endings and beginnings. S was seen running back into the arms of C, in tears. And I don't mean Chuck, no I mean the original CB – Carter Baizen. Now what caused this reunion? Chuck Bass was spotted leaving B's late last night. It seems out odd couples are through. But I see revived love on the horizon. Either way, I'll be watching._

_Xoxo._

_Gossip Girl.'_

Chuck dropped his phone into a glass of scotch and let the thing be destroyed as he buried his face into his hands, rare tears slipping past his fingers. "Fuck."

So, first thing since I've been back. I hope it was okay, I know it was a bit choppy and not too great, but I would greatly appreciate reviews.

Hope you all had great holidays.




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